Venetian blind tape protector



Sept. 4, 1951 L. WOODBURY VENETIAN BLIND TAPE PROTECTOR Filed May 5,1949 INVENTOR. -Z]/72720. L. Woodbury ATTDRN EYE Patented Sept. 4, 1951UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,566,474 VENETIAN BLIND TAPE PROTECTORLinna L. Woodbury, Kansas City, Mo. Application May 5, 1949, Serial No.91,451

(01. mil-34) Claims.

The present invention. relates to a shield and guard, and moreparticularly to a shield or guard for use in connection with cleaningthe slats or strips of a Venetian blind.

One object of the invention is to provide a protective shield or guardwhich may be quickly placed in position beneath the slat or a Venetianblind to protect the tapes during cleaning such as by brushing,scrubbing or vacuuming.

Another object is to provide a Venetian blind slat protective guard orshield which can be convenlently placed in position to protect the tapesof the Venetian blind while cleaning the slats in the area of said tapeswith considerable ease and facility.

Another object is to provide a protective shield or guard of the abovementioned type which is adapted to be quickly and easily attached anddetached while cleaning the Venetian blind slats in the area of thesupporting tapes without necessitating disarrangement of the tapes orthe dismantling of the Venetian blind slats.

Another object is to provide a protective guard or shield for use incleaning the slats of Venetian blinds in the area of the tapes which isadapted to be placed in position beneath the slat and supported on thetape connectors so that the side wing portions thereof will extendvertically on each side of the slat and protect the tapes from becomingsoiled or damaged during washing and cleaning or renovating.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentduring the course of the following description of the accompanyingdrawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the protective shield or guard showingthe masking wings for protecting the inner surfaces of the slatsupporting tapes of the Venetian blind while cleaning.

Figure 2 is an end elevational view of the protective guard showing theupstanding wings or masking portions.

Figure 3 is a top elevational view showing the blind slat elevating cordreceiving slot to facilitate positioning of the protective guard.

Figure 4 is a perspective fragmentary view of a blind of the Venetianslat type illustrating the protective guard in position beneath the slatwith the shield masking wings extendin along the inner sides of theblind slat supporting tapes, and

Figure 5 is a vertical fragmentary cross-sectional view of a Venetianblind showing the protective guard in end elevation and supportedbeneath the blind slat by the tape connecting straps.

In the drawing, and more in deail, attention is directed to Figures 4and 5 wherein for the pur pose of convenience of illustration there isshown a portion of a Venetian blind structure generally designated 5embodying the area of one of the Venetian blind slats or strips 6adjacent the supporting tapes I. The Venetain blind structure includes astrap or web 8 connected to the supporting tapes I at its ends by rowsof stitching or the like 5. Generally, the web or strap 8 has itsselvage ends interwoven with the tapes I for supporting the Venetianblind slats 6 in various positions depending upon the relative movementof the tapes I. The lower ends of the tapes I are connected to a liftstrip to which is; attached the lower end of a pair of elevating cords,one of which is shown as at It so that raising and lowering of saidropes or strands I!) will elevate the Venetian blind slats to thedesired position.

The above structure is old and well known and of conventional design,and the invention comprises a shield or guard generally designated it ofchannel formation including a web portion or base It having upstandingwing portions I! arranged in parallel relation one with the other andnormal to the base It. The wind portions I! are of sufilcient size toextend beyond the side edges of the tapes I and the corner edges l9 arerounded to prevent damage to the hand of a person while cleaning theVenetian blind slats 5.

The base I6 is provided with a slot 20 extend ing inwardly from one endedge thereof parallel with the protective wings I1 and said slotterminates as at 2| (Fig. 3) at a point adjacent the center of the base16. The corner edges 22 of the slot 20 are rounded.

In use, the protective shield or guard I5 is placed in position as shownin Figures 4. and 5 so that the elevating cord or strand It is receivedin the slot 20 and the base [6 is beneath the Venetian blind slat 5above the strap or web 8. In this position, the protective wings ormasking portions I I extend upwardly along the inside surfaces of thetapes 1 so that the Venetian blind slat 6 can be cleaned with a brush,wash mg or other cleaning implement without contacting the innersurfaces of the tapes 1 and soiling the same.

It is to be noted, that the base I6 is of a width slightly greater thanthe width of the Venetian blind slat 6 so that when the protectiveshield or guard is slid ino position between the Venetian blind slatsand strap 8, the protective and masking wings I! will extend upwardlyfrom each side edge of the Venetian blind slat.

The protective shield or guard l 5 can be readily interchanged tofacilitate cleaning of each slat as the work progresses, and after oneslat has been cleaned the protective shield or guard is slid edgewise todisplace the cord or strand ID from the slot as well as to remove thebase 16 from its position between the Venetian blind slat 6 and thewebbing or strap 8.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred embodiment thereof and thatvarious changes in the shape, size as well as design may be resorted towithout departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of thesubjoined claims.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with a Venetian blind hav-= ing a plurality of blindslats supported by tapes at each edge thereof and provided with anelevating cord, a protective mask of channel shaped section providing abase portion having an openended slot thereinthat is adapted to receivethe elevating cord of the blind so that said mask may be receivedbeneath the slat of. said Venetian blind and a pair of upstandingprotective wings on said base portion adapted to extend vertically alongthe inner side of the supporting tapes and protect the same againstdamage during cleaning of said slats.

2. In combination with a Venetian blind, a protective shield and guardincluding a channel shaped member providing a base having an openendedslot centrally thereof and upstanding protective Wing members at eachside thereof, whereby when said shield and guard is positioned beneathone of the blind slats said wings will ex tend upwardly on the innerside of the Venetian blind tapes and protect the same against damageduring cleaning. I

3. In combination with a Venetian blind, a protective shield and guardincluding a channelshaped member providing a base and upstandingprotective Wing portions at each side edge thereof and said base memberbeing provided with a slot to receive the elevating cord of the Venetianblind and permit the base member to be positioned beneath the blindslats in the area of the supporting tapes whereby said wing portionswill protect the inner surfaces of said tapes against damage duringcleaning.

4. In combination with a Venetian blind having a series of slatssupported on the connecting webs of spaced apart supporting tapes, aprotective shield comprising a base having a slot in the central portionthereof and extending inwardly from one edge for receiving the elevatingcord of said Venetian blind, and a pair of opposed upstanding wingmembers on said base adapted to extend vertically along the innersurfaces of the supporting tapes when the shield or guard is positionedbeneath one of the slats of the Venetian blind during cleaning thereofin the area of said tapes.

5. In combination with a Venetian blind having a series of slatssupported on the connecting webs of spaced apart suspension tapes, aprotective shield comprising a channel shaped member having a baseadapted to be disposed beneath one of the slats of the Venetian blindand above the corresponding connecting web therefor, and upstandingprotective Wing members on said base extending upwardly at each side ofthe Venetian blind slat along the inner surface of said supporting tapesto protect the same from becoming soiled and damaged during cleaning ofthe Venetian blind slats, said base being provided with a slot extendinginwardly from one edge thereof to a point adjacent the center of thebase to receive the supporting cord and elevator strand of the Venetianblind.

LINNA L. WOODBURY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 236,707 Jones Jan. 18, 18812,153,893 Johanson Apr. 11, 1939 2,517,220 Lister Aug. 1, 1950

